Previous Next

Cosmic Guerilla could be said to be a cousin of Space Invaders, in that you control a moving gun at the base of the screen which zoomes to and fro as you attempt to destroy the aliens.

However, the scenario is quite different; the alien 'guerillas' sneak in from both sides of the screen at once, trying to reach the centre where they steal a supply of 'pod' which they then have to take back the way they came.

Thus you have irregular groups of aliens moving independently in different directions at the same time; their movement is in erratic bursts so that it can be difficult to judge when any individual will take his next 'step'. A randomly generated saucer passes periodically across the top of the screen, a la Space Invaders; you get a higher score for successfully hitting this.

Your job is to shoot the guerillas before they return home with their stolen goods. If you hit one on its return journey, its 'pod' will be abandoned there until another alien comes to fetch it; as these black blobs block the energy pulses from your gun the game becomes more difficult as more of them are left lying around.

The aliens can also destroy you with their own bombs (you have three 'lives'). You have shields against these, but as the bombs do not come often and the shields tend to get in your own way, I found that it was a good policy to blast them out of existence at the beginning of each game.

You have a choice of three speeds, and score is displayed on screen. High scorers can enter their names in a 'hall of fame' at the end of the game.

Having played other games of the same type, I did not find that it held my interest for long; but the sneaky way that the aliens move and their tendency to attack in bunches is a novelty.

The game is well produced, loads easily and runs smoothly; I found that the controls respond almost too quickly - you need a very light touch to position your gun where you want it. Instructions are minimal, but the only controls necessary are Right, Left and Fire. The program can be used with the QS Sound and Characters board, if available.

C.C.R.